While many college students hit the beaches during the recent spring break, 400 Alabama students involved in Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) used their days to minister to others.
The students worked in 10 states including Alabama — as well as in Cuba and Mexico — March 20–28 through the BCM’s SPOTS (special projects other than summer) program. They led Vacation Bible Schools and backyard Bible clubs, participated in street evangelism and worship services, fed the homeless, offered tutoring services and free van rides, provided pancake breakfasts to spring breakers on the beach and conducted church start surveys.
With a total of 6,300 people reached during the weeklong missions project, a total of 92 official decisions were registered. Seventy-four of those decisions were professions of faith.
“We took 17 students to Panama City, Fla.,” said Travis Moore, BCM director for the University of Montevallo. “We partnered with four other schools for Beach Reach 2004 (hosted by LifeWay Christian Stores). Through free pancake breakfasts and van rides, 15 students came to faith in Jesus Christ,” he noted.
“Our students said they’ve never been part of a missions trip that was as intense and rewarding as this one,” Moore said. “The first night we arrived, we prayerwalked over the entire area.
“Grace Baptist Church of Panama City was the host church housing a praise and worship band, prayer room and lots of volunteers. Flyers and tracts with the church phone number were passed out to drunken college students,” he said, noting that some students on their way to a club canceled their plans after being witnessed to.
“We drove vans and shared the gospel with them from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.,” he said. “After witnessing, we called the church … and the people in the prayer room specifically prayed for those people.”
Scott Elliott, a senior at the University of Montevallo, said, “We met a group of three guys one night. One guy knew the Bible, stories, Scripture, but didn’t know God with a personal relationship.
“He was against what we were doing,” Elliott said. “He wanted to know why we were out there. He said drunk people wouldn’t remember what we shared with them.”
Elliott said, “I told him, ‘You’re right, they probably won’t remember a lot of what we said. But, they will remember that someone loved them and cared that they got home safely. They will remember that we told them that God loves them and wants to give them eternity.’
“Several groups were convicted,” Elliott said. “We ruined their nights and halted their plans for the evening.”
Share with others: